Shadow Partners Step into the Mainstream

Impartner Acquisition of Amplifinity Helps Companies Optimize Revenue from Referral Partners

“Companies using an intentional versus ad-hoc process like Amplifinity see an average yearly increase in revenue of more than 30.”

In 2019, a stunning 72 percent of all tech purchase decisions now go through business unit buyers versus purchasing or IT teams.  This change in purchasing behavior has caused a seismic shift in the channel partner landscape as these buyers increasingly turn to disparate groups such as industry-based consultants, service providers, and independent software vendors to help implement technology given their role as trusted advisors.  What’s emerged, is a powerful ecosystem of “shadow channel” partners, similar to the Shadow IT phenom of recent years, as these same buyers circumvented traditional IT processes to more nimbly secure technologies of their choice in the manner in which they chose.

Like shadow IT, however, shadow channels are emerging into the mainstream and traditional and non-traditional partners, now typically called referral partners, are the new normal for corporations everywhere. What’s needed in today’s market, are new, performance-based tools designed to manage all types of partners, business models, and various customer technology consumption preferences.  This week, with Impartner’s acquisition of Amplifinity, (press release here) the leading referral partner management solution, our customers now have a complete toolset to maximize their business relationship with every type of partner and accelerate revenue for everyone.  The impact of that technology is significant. Companies using an intentional versus ad-hoc process like Amplifinity see an average yearly increase in revenue of more than 30.

The emergence of shadow channel partners is one Forrester’s top channel analyst, Jay McBain has long forecast.  In his Forrester blog, What I See Coming For The Channel, one of his predictions was that “vendors will put formal shadow-channel programs in motion,” noting one vendor who has since replaced “its traditional, compliance-based programs with new performance-based programs designed to reward all types of partners…Most programs will follow suit in 2019.”

If you’re ready to follow suit with your company, click here for demo and see how formalizing your referral partner program can help you accelerate revenue from this new generation of partners.